[2] Although leaves appear almost flat when viewed from above, if the leaf is turned over to display the underside, its succulence is apparent.

[2] Flowers are vivid dark pink or purple with five petals 11 to 15 mm long and bright yellow stamens in the center.

[15] In 2020 Mark Hershkovitz, the author of Parakeelya, published a paper arguing that the Australasian species should be reclassified into genus Rumicastrum according to established nomenclatural rules.

[2][6] The distinctive features and life history of P. balonensis reflect the requirements of its distribution in dry regions.

The most noticeable of these features is succulence, an evolutionary strategy in which plants’ leaves or roots are thickened, fleshy, and engorged to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions.

[10] Although succulence is rare among Australian plants when compared to arid regions in the Americas and Africa, it is a defining characteristic of Parakeelya and Calandrinia.

[17] In CAM photosynthesis, plants can obtain carbon dioxide by opening their stomata at night when water loss is reduced.

Carbon dioxide absorbed at night is stored in dilute form in the succulent tissues until daylight, when photosynthesis is completed.

[8] It tends to last longer than most arid or semi-arid zone annuals because of its ability to store water in its succulent leaves.

Alice Duncan-Kemp, an author and Indigenous culture recorder, described P. balonensis as palatable when cooked and dressed with seasoning or white sauce.

[22] It can be propagated by cuttings and the resulting plants flower prolifically, but they may be difficult to maintain for more than one year.